Vices & Valances
by JEK623
Summary: Jenny O'Reilly is Cherry's twin, and she's back in Tulsa. Immediately, she's recognized as Greaser material and Cherry is nervous that she'll be replaced by the vice to her Valance.
1. Chapter 1

Prompt: Johnny died but Dally didn't. Nope, he lived because of Johnny Cade: To get even with the Socs. Jenny O'reilly (Cherry's twin) is coming back. At 4, her and her dad moved out. She was raised in England while Cherry was raised in Tulsa but now she's back. The parents are still divorced. They eventually forgot about each other (Jenny and Cherry). Jenny is dressed more like a Soc but she doesn't act like one. Cherry acts like one. One day Cherry, Jenny, and one of their friends stop by the Dx to hang out with the gang as Cherry always went by due to helping the Greasers in trial. She became their look out but today, she just wants to hang with them and introduce the newest Soc and her twin. Tracey is Tracey Holden, Paul's sister from Wyoming. She also lived with a different set of parents and just came to Tulsa. Knew Sherri as a kid but then moved away (12) and is moving back. Dally wants Cherry, Soda wants Jenny, and Steve wants Tracey. It's about the 6 people falling in love, dealing with drama, and getting together.

*this is something like that.

* * *

><p>Chapter One:<p>

_**"Dally!"**_

_It comes back immediately. The fear, the grief, all at once. It's all so vivid and real. He can picture it so perfectly; the sunset illuminating the billows of smoke dancing up into the atmosphere from the old rustic church that was now crisp and falling apart at the seams, Ponyboy's choking next to him as he struggles for clean air, trying to evacuate all of the school children, and he can't see Johnny through the thickness of the smoke around them, but then he hears it-_

_Johnny Cade's last cry before the rafter of the church ceiling fell. The last moment before they all knew Johnny Cade was going to die._

_He remembers the feeling of losing his breath, not only because of the smoke clogging his nose and constricting his throat as he rushed toward the falling boy, hoisting him in his arms and busting into the hazy burning daylight-_

Dallas Winston wakes with a start.

He can feel himself quivering, hand over his mouth to disguise the sobs falling from his lips, where salty tears came to rest, only wishing that this scar would fade.

It's been months. He should coping, improving. Ever since he lost Johnny, he felt as if he should've let the police kill him that night. Maybe it would end all of his misery. Johnny, albeit very young, was the most wise kid he knew, and he loved him like a brother. Losing him tore Dallas apart. It felt as if his world ended.

Johnny would never blame Dallas for his death, he knew, but he still felt like it was all of his fault.

Furiously scrubbing at the tears, he stands, pulls on a pair of jeans and stumbles out into the street. He doesn't have to think of where he's going to end up there.

If he needed to, he could make his way to the place blindfolded.

The Valance residence was dark, but in the distance, he could see the flicker of light blinking up in the bedroom on the side of the house. It's awfully familiar, he realizes as he climbs over the gate and into the side yard, fingers molding to the grip of ivy as he hoists himself up two stories to her windowsill.

He doesn't bother knocking.

Sliding the glass pane from its rest, he spills through the window, foot caught in the ivy outside and his body rolling onto her bed, then hitting the floor with a vivid thud.

"Goddamnit, Dallas."

Cherry's sitting up at the head of the bed, closing the book she'd had displayed on her lap and setting on the nightstand. Lunging forward, she pulls him up onto the plush mattress with one hand, closing the window's screen with the other.

"Are you trying to get me in trouble?" She says this every time he finds his way through her window at some ungodly hour of the morning, and as usual, she gives him a gentle smile as she comes to sit next to him on the edge of her bed.

Now, she's quiet, waiting for him to begin. It's like this every time, like a broken record, over and over. Normally, after a few minutes of comfortable silence, he'll quietly tell her about what happened in his dream, about ghosts that will haunt him until the day he dies.

Following that, he'll usually ask her about what she dreams about, and she'll tell him about how she always regretted not seeing Johnny, even though at the time she kind of hated him for killing her boyfriend. _People are temporary, _she'd once said, _and even though he killed my boyfriend, Johnny was still a good kid._

That always made Dally smile. Even thinking about it now had a smile ready to come to his lips, but he remembered his dream, and how guilty he'd felt.

"What's wrong, Dallas?" Her voice is soft as she gently places her hand on his shoulder, watching the almost-smile fall from his lips, replacing it with tension and grief that currently ward his expression.

"Nothing." he replies gruffly, scrubbing his hand through his dark locks, remnants of styling oil sticking to his fingers, which he wipes on his jeans.

Raising her eyebrow, she lightly punches his arm, "That's always what it is, isn't it?"

Ever since Johnny's death, Dallas and Cherry always seemed to run into one another. In spite of the fact that they didn't get along before, they found solace in one another.

Dallas needed someone to be honest with, someone to see him unlike all of the shit he did in the past. Someone who could hear his actual thoughts, ones that would only get a laugh out of the Greasers, and someone who could hear him out about his relationship with Johnny and how unfair it was that he was gone.

Cherry needed someone who didn't see her as her facade. She needed someone who didn't like her because of the car she drove, or her social status. What she needed was someone who she could sit with and rant about how superficial the Socs were and how she really hated the distinguished line between the town, and how your location was all you were known for.

The Greasers knew of this alliance, but they didn't know how deep the connection was. How even though Dallas and Cherry were two very different people, that was what made them balance.

Neither would call it friendship. Far from it, actually; it was more of an unwritten addiction.

"Well, okay," Cherry states a minute later, tossing a pillow at his chest, "you're on the floor." She needed a reaction. In the months that he's been sharing the nights with her, she's never seen him this torn up.

A humorless chuckle brims from his quirked lips, when he says, "I wouldn't expect any more from a Soc."

A smirk brews at the corner of her mouth as she replies coyly, "I wouldn't give this much to any Greaser."

Just after she yanked the string on her lamp is when the whisper comes, "Thanks, Sherri."

Which was responded with a flat statement: "It's Cherry, you asshole."

* * *

><p>"Well, I'll be!"<p>

The voice was unfamiliar, which had Cherry snapping up, grabbing the closest thing to her -her bedside lamp- and holding it up in warning. The stranger stood by her door, bright red hair and familiar blue eyes meeting her own.

Below her, Dallas was sitting up, running a hand through his hair that was in full disarray, eyes bleary and confused. His leather jacket and shirt were both riding up his lean stomach and his jeans sagged ever so slighting, revealing a strip of tan skin that Cherry was trying very hard to avoid eye contact with.

The redhead always knew her... acquaintance was attractive, but never really played on the idea.

Surprise suddenly kicked in at the fact that Dallas was still there. He usually left really early in the morning, leaving her to wake to an open window and the faint scent of nicotine.

The Greaser, who had also taken note of Cherry's clone, flopped back onto her floor again, muttering, "It's too early for this."

"Who are you?" Cherry says, still poised with the bedside lamp, ready to pounce. She shot a glare at Dallas, who raised his hands as if to surrender as he slowly sat up again, tossing the pillow he'd borrowed back onto her bed. Sticky tear tracks marked down his face, and a feeling of concern washed over the redhead with the lamp, but she didn't comment on it. Now was not the time.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me already!" the stranger with the familiar traits whines, and then it just clicks.

"Jenny." Cherry states. The last time she saw her twin, they were still in diapers.

"Bingo, bitch." the girl grins, lipstick smudging as her smile widened. Bright pink chewing gum was mashed between her teeth, and in the next second, she blew a new bubble, and it exploded with a _snap _against her maroon lips.

"O'Reilly?!"

Both girls turn to find Dallas with a furrowed brow, taking in the redhead's features. She was definitely a sight to see. Her fiery hair was tied up in a bun at the top of her scalp, a black bandana outlining the crown of her head like a headband, holding it all in place. Her pale complexion, the thick kohl liner ringing her eyes, the stark maroon lipstick, and her leather jacket, dirt-faded tee shirt, blue jeans and studded combat boots.

Cherry glanced at Dallas; he was looking like he'd seen a ghost, but with a slight smile on his lips.

"Well if it isn't Winston." Jenny grins, "Always a pleasure to see a familiar face."

_Familiar face? They knew each other? _ Cherry raises an eyebrow, but keeps her mouth pasted in a smile, "So, what are you doing here anyway, Jen?"

The sight of Dallas' joy made her want to curl back up in bed and restart the day; everything seemed off.

Slowly, Jenny pulled her eyes away from Dallas' frame and took in her sister once again, her smirk widening at Cherry's uneasy expression,"The alcoholic was arrested and plead guilty to first degree murder, which gave the court the right to send me to the next of kin."

"Mom," Cherry supplied, more to herself than anyone else, and immediately felt the unease in her body deepen. She didn't know what happened between her parents; all she knew was that they ended on bad terms and that having Jenny here was probaby killing her mother.

At that thought, footsteps pounded up the stairs, pausing outside the door; Cherry felt herself pale, "Jennifer, is Sherri awake yet?"

"Yeah, she's up," Jenny replied easily through the door, just as Cherry turns to usher Dallas out, but he was already gone, out the window, and she can hear the thud of his boots hitting the dewy dirt below her window.

Turning back, Cherry ignores the look her twin gives and adds, "I'm up, Mother."

"Oh," a pause, "good, breakfast will be ready soon."

"Okay, thanks, Mom." Jenny calls out; there's an awkward pause before they hear their mother continue down the steps to retreat to the kitchen.

"Why'd you do that?" Cherry asks once her mother is out of earshot. She doesn't look at her sister as she moves toward her closet, ready to change out of her silk nightgown; Dallas probably thought she was a huge dork-

Her train of thought pauses. Why does she care what _Dallas _thinks? She does not let herself elaborate on that thought, because that was dangerous. They were just mere acquaintances that consoled eachother through tough times, nothing more.

A floral peach silk shirt catches her eye at that moment, and she places it carefully on her bed before rummaging through her drawers to find a rare pair of denim jeans to add to the mix.

"Well, she's my mother as well, Valance." her twin replies matter-of-factly from her position at the vanity, where she was applying a new sheer layer of Cherry's peach lipstick. Bright red residue comes off on the stick, Cherry observes, but she doesn't reply, instead turning back to her outfit for the day.

Jenny ignores her twin's pointed look at the tube of lipstick, instead continuing to apply as she speaks, "You'll have to share more than a mother with me, Valance-" At that moment, her eyes fell to the window and she waggled her eyebrows pervertedly.

"There's nothing to share," Cherry replies casually, slipping her nightgown over her head, ignoring the puzzled glance her sister shot her, but didn't elaborate.

As she changes her outfits, Cherry ponders; Jenny is Greaser material, Dallas' type. And Cherry doesn't have any kind of emotional tether to the Greaser, so why was she so bothered with the fact that her sister was interested?

_Familiar face._ The words came back to her like a bullet to the heart. How did she and Dallas know each other? More importantly, what kind of history laid there? The questions weighed like a cinderblock in her stomach.

It was when she was sitting on the bed, pulling her socks onto her feet that she noticed the note.

_Valance, _the small scrawl read, _Party tonight. Two-Bit's place. See you there. _

A warmth settled in her stomach. She loved it when the Greasers invited her places. She'd grown closer to them ever since Bob's death- a lot of her Soc friends had given her distance since that spell of grief, so she never really felt close with them after her depression at his loss had dissipated.

Stealing a glance over at her twin, Cherry pauses. It would be unfair to her mother to put her in the position of basically babysitting Jenny while she "hung out with some friends" and also, it would be childish not to offer her guest- _sibling_ along.

"Hey, Jen?" Her voice frayed slightly from the periodic silence, but if Jenny noticed, she didn't say anything, which gave Cherry the confidence to continue, "The Greasers are throwing this party tonight, and I was wondering if you wanted to-"

"A 'Greaser' party?" Jenny repeats, her perfect nose wrinkling, "You actually subject yourself above them because they live on the other side of town and may not be as rich as you?" Disgust is palpable in her tone, but before Cherry can correct herself, clarifying that that's not what she meant, Jenny is shaking her head, replying, "You know what, never mind, I'm in."

* * *

><p>When Cherry, Marcia and Jenny arrive at Two-Bit's place, it's crowded. So crowded that it was hard to see the ground with how many sets of feet were fogging it.<p>

Scanning the room, Cherry immediately spotted the Curtis brothers, along with Steve and Two-Bit hovering against the wall, assessing the party scene. It was just as she was about to approach them that she heard his voice cut through the noise and music.

"Well if it isn't Valance-squared?" Dallas' voice is warm with greeting as he approaches them, a beer in each hand. He hands one to Cherry, but keeps the other one wrapped in his fingers.

"Actually, Valance and O'Reilly." Jenny punctuates, looking a little stung at the lack of red-solo cup in her hand, before glossing over and turning to glance back at Marcia, adding, "and that girl."

Not at all fazed at the negative comment, Marcia just rolls her eyes and heads off to find Two-Bit. Hanging out with the Greasers has steeled her up well.

"Well, I guess I'll see you both around, then," Dallas tosses them an uneasy smile at Jenny's annoyance, an unfamiliar look on him. As he turns around, he pauses, glancing back at Cherry's outfit, "Is that my shirt?"

Three sets of eyes snap to Cherry's outfit. A faded white V-neck shirt was resting upon her torso, tucked into her short black skirt. Even though she hadn't realized, it was probably his, from nights in the beginning of their.. partnership that he would sleep shirtless just to be cocky and make her uncomfortable.

"Uh, I don't know," the redhead replied, a blush creeping up the pale complexion of her neck, "I just found it on my floor?"

Cherry feels so much more uncomfortable that Jenny's there, not only because of the fact that just hours before, she'd denied any entanglements between her and the Greaser, but also because Jenny was smirking, a laugh on the edge of her lips.

Dallas paused, taking in Jenny's laugh and Cherry's discomfort for only a moment longer before he shrugs it off and lopes off into the sea of people.

"Good one, sis," Jenny giggles before following him into the mass, "Good one."

It really didn't matter, Cherry realized, Dallas didn't seem fazed at the idea of her wearing his shirt, but Jenny's attendance had just made her uneasy. Why did she seem so smug, as if she was belittling Cherry for having this bond with Dallas-

Her mind is interrupted by Sodapop, who approaches her with a grin on his face, vodka bottle in hand. Seeing the troubled expression she masked had him running to the rescue, "Cherry, m'lady, you look like you could use some vodka."

"Not just some," the redhead replied just as she caught sight of Jenny approaching Dallas and some of his buddies. Her twin was gorgeous, with her badass exterior and black-hearted interior, she was sure to steal Dallas' heart, and her sudden revelation caused her to nudge the words between her lips.

"A lot."


	2. Chapter 2

Prompt: Johnny died but Dally didn't. Nope, he lived because of Johnny Cade: To get even with the Socs. Jenny O'reilly (Cherry's twin) is coming back. At 4, her and her dad moved out. She was raised in England while Cherry was raised in Tulsa but now she's back. The parents are still divorced. They eventually forgot about each other (Jenny and Cherry). Jenny is dressed more like a Soc but she doesn't act like one. Cherry acts like one. One day Cherry, Jenny, and one of their friends stop by the Dx to hang out with the gang as Cherry always went by due to helping the Greasers in trial. She became their look out but today, she just wants to hang with them and introduce the newest Soc and her twin. Tracey is Tracey Holden, Paul's sister from Wyoming. She also lived with a different set of parents and just came to Tulsa. Knew Sherri as a kid but then moved away (12) and is moving back. Dally wants Cherry, Soda wants Jenny, and Steve wants Tracey. It's about the 6 people falling in love, dealing with drama, and getting together.

*this is something like that.

* * *

><p>Chapter 2:<p>

It seemed like the room was getting hotter the longer Cherry stood there. She felt lonesome, watching couples dancing in the middle of the room as their movements got more daring and steamy. She cringed as her eyes caught sight of Jenny, swaying her hips against Dallas', his arm curled around her abdomen.

"You alright, Red?" It was Two-Bit's kind voice that pulled her from her reverie. She turned to look at him, smiling gently at him, with his arm wrapped around Marcia, as they came to stand at her side.

"Yeah, fine," she stuttered quickly, turning her back on her twin, "just feeling a bit under the weather. I think I'm gonna head out."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Marcia asked, looking concerned and unconvinced. As her best friend, Marcia could read her like a book.

"No, I'm fine, you guys hang out. And let Jenny know that I left, when you get the chance?" She dared a glance over her shoulder at her twin, still grinding against Dallas, who was whispering something in her ear.

"Okay, have a good one, Cherry," Two-Bit smiled ruefully at her as he reached out to give her a one-armed hug. He looked like he pitied her, as she continued to glance back at Dallas and Jenny, feeling a knife twisting in her chest, reason unbeknownst to her.

The redhead smiled at her friends once again, feeling uneasy, before turning on her heel and heading to the front door. Though the hallway didn't seem that long, the front door looked like it was a mile away. The alcohol inside her suddenly swished uncomfortably, and she had to reach out for a wall to support herself.

"Wait, Cher." It was Marcia, ducking under her free arm. Two-Bit was at her other side in a heartbeat, and he set his and Marcia's drinks down to help hobble her awkwardly toward the door and out into the fresh night air. From the immediate change in temperature, and her uneasiness at the sight of Jenny and Dallas still playing in her mind, Cherry felt herself go weak in the knees.

Untangling herself from Marcia and Two-Bit, Cherry keeled over and threw up in a bush just outside the residence. She could feel Two-Bit's calloused hands holding her hair out of her face while Marcia knelt at her side, her manicured fingernails scratching on her back soothingly as she spoke, "You alright, Cher?"

Slowly straightening, the red head sagged against her friend's shoulder. Two-Bit released her hair, now patting her on the shoulder, eyes calm, "You've got her, Marc?"

"We'll be fine," the brunette smiled assuringly, and Two-Bit reached out to kiss her on the cheek. Immediately, he recoiled, eyes watering as he said, "Man, Red, your breath stinks, I can smell it from here."

Both girls laughed, Cherry albeit weakly, before Marcia reached out and kissed Two-Bit chastely on the mouth; Cherry turned away as much as she could, leaning against the brunette. It was a moment that deserved privacy. It was not unlike when old people were affectionate, and you felt that the moment deserved to be kept secret, because they loved for so long, and not understanding felt wrong.

"Alright, time to go home, Cher." Marcia smiled at her, nudging her friend's head off her shoulder, and the two turned around and headed toward Cherry's blue Cavalier. When they reached the car, Marcia helped her around the car and dumped the redhead in the passenger seat, and Cherry didn't complain.

The ride home was silent, just the sound of tires rolling along asphalt, and when Marcia parked and helped her friend into the house, not a word was spoken. It was only when Cherry was snuggled in her pajamas, three water bottles and a tub of Tylenol on the corner of her nightstand, bucket in her lap, that Marcia spoke again.

"So, I get it," Marcia began, settling herself at Cherry's vanity, now wrapped in a long snug nightgown, "you were ill, but I think there may be something you aren't telling me?" Her friend eyed her as if she already knew the answer, but obviously wanted to hear it for herself.

Sighing, Cherry worked her body around so that she was facing Marcia fully, before she began, "I was lonely, watching all of the couples mill around, and myself being single, I was just feeling sad."

"But, one couple definitely caught your attention, didn't it?" Marcia's voice was soft, gentle.

Cherry let her head fall back against her headboard, losing any hope in fighting Marcia's questions, "I don't know. Just seeing Dallas and Jenny had my stomach in knots-" the brunette, who was hanging onto every word, nodded ruefully, "and I don't know why. Dallas isn't my boyfriend or anything - we don't even call each other friends! - so I don't understand why I felt so gutted when I saw them together."

Smiling sadly, Marcia reached over to pat Cherry's knee, "Maybe it's the idea of Jenny coming back into your life so suddenly is throwing you off. It used to just be you and your mom, and you and Dallas, and you and me, that now with someone else in the mix, it's throwing you off."

"Maybe," Cherry admits, nodding thoughtfully, "but it's not just that. It's the vibe that Jenny gives off. She just seems so... forgive me when I say this, _trashy."_

The word hung like a stench in the silence for a long moment, before Marcia seems to come to a revelation, a soft smirk curling on her rouge lips.

The sight immediately set Cherry's stomach turning again. "What?"

Looking devious, Marcia just shakes her head, "Nothing, I just thought of something funny."

"Marc," Cherry whines, throwing her pillow at the brunette, who just shakes her head.

"I don't know, it just reminds me of how Dallas treated you when the two of you first met." The dark-haired girl shrugs, "maybe she just takes some time to warm up to."

Cherry shrugged, unsure, "I hope so."

* * *

><p>Two weeks.<p>

Fourteen days is how long it took before she saw him again. What with all of these feelings boiling behind her sternum, she had avoided him like the plague, hoping that maybe if she never saw Dallas Winston, maybe her feelings would fade away and things could go back to normal.

But, as the months changed, she saw the dreaded date on the calendar looming just out of reach, and she knew that her days were numbered, because on that chilly autumn night, Dallas Winston would need her.

* * *

><p><em>September 19, 1966<em>

The day came up faster than Cherry had expected. What with the school year starting up again, she was so caught up with the school work of senior year, and being co-captain of the cheerleading squad - and helping Jenny fit in at Tulsa High - that she hadn't realized it was already the nineteenth until she caught a glance of Ponyboy heading to class, eyes rimmed red.

It had already been a year.

On her way home, Cherry vowed to stop at the cemetery.

"He killed your boyfriend!" Jenny exclaimed as Cherry dropped her off at the Valance residence, "why does he deserve any of your respect?!"

"You didn't know him," Cherry sighed, "and he didn't do it maliciously; it was self-defense."

"Still!" Jenny stated, but Cherry had already rolled up her window and drove off without a look back.

When she got to the cemetery, she found that her car wasn't the only one in the lot. A rusted pickup sat lonely at the edge of the asphalt closest to the dirt path, sitting crooked in it's spot, like it was parked without much care.

_Such a Sodapop thing_, she pondered as she picked the cheap bouquet of flowers off the passenger seat and clomped down the path and along the headstones until she came across the certain plot crowded by the three Curtis brothers.

Darry was saying something about Johnny being a spirited soul who had a spark that died too young when Cherry reached them, and she didn't interrupt, just sat her flowers next to theirs and stood between Soda and Ponyboy as Darry finished his spiel.

"I keep hoping he'll come back." Ponyboy whispered, sadness evident in his voice, "He was my best friend."

"He still is, Pone," Soda sighs sadly, "He's just out of reach right now. You two will meet again some day."

Cherry tries to hide her surprise. She had not really known Sodapop's beliefs, if he'd had any, but she wasn't sure whether or not he was just saying that to comfort his brother. Looking at Soda, she couldn't really tell. His face was red from all of the crying, and he seemed most heartbroken of the three, so she wondered if she should check up and see if he was alright.

She waited until they had meandered toward the parking lot before she sidled up next to Soda and whispered, "You okay, Soda?"

Sniffling, he wiped his nose with his sleeve, muttering back, "Sandy and I first met today, four years ago. She and I were really close- I thought I was going to marry her. It's just... this day seems to get worse every year, for more reasons than one."

"I'm sorry, Soda," she sighs softly, as they approached the Curtis' truck, "Will you be alright?"

"Yeah," he stuffed his hands into his pockets, "It'll be over soon enough." Giving her a rueful smile, he hoisted himself into the truck bed, and with a rev of the engine, and a chorus of "Bye, Cherry", the trio peeled out of the parking lot and down the road. She waited until the truck was out of sight before heading back to her own car and heading back home.

* * *

><p>Like the weather forecast predicted, that night was frosting everything with a chill that Cherry could feel biting into her bones. Yet she still kept her window open, just a crack, for that moment at three in the morning, when she heard the shift of ivy below her window.<p>

Trying to keep herself steady, she listed her head in the direction of her window, watching the glass slide up and watching a head full of dark hair poke through her window, "Sherri?"

Feigning grogginess, Cherry squinted, lifting her head in confusion, as if she hadn't expected Dallas to slip through her window, closing it sharply behind him and plopping down onto her bed, distraught, "Fuck, it's freezing in here."

"Dallas," her voice is soft.

He doesn't answer at first, his teeth clenched, eyes oddly vacant. But under the redhead's kind, understanding eyes, the dark-haired man started to crumble, tears flooding at the corners of his eyes, when he broke down, soft sobs falling from his lips.

"It's been a year."

"I know," she slides her legs from underneath the covers and comes to sit next to him at the edge of her bed. Like most nights, he doesn't say much for a while, just sits there, breathing unsteady, occasionally reaching up to wipe his face. Cherry watches him, eyes full of worry.

"He was just a kid," Dallas finally says, voice unusually wobbly, "he had his whole life ahead of him."

The words "I know" almost fall from her mouth, but she stops herself. He knew she knew, but what could she say? For as long as she could remember, no one in her close-knit family has died for a long time; she didn't know what it was like to lose someone you love. She had loved Bob very much, but she didn't cry as much as she'd thought at his passing; what with the whole provoking Johnny Cade into using self-defense and killing the Soc, it wasn't very sad. But, she thought back to all of the times rumors about Bob cheating on her had spread, and how her mother would come in and hold her and tell her everything would be okay.

Trying not to lose her confidence, Cherry tentatively scooted closer to Dallas and wrapped her arms around his torso, head resting on his shoulder, humming quietly into the fabric of his shirt. That was the moment that Dallas Winston broke down. The sobs that escaped his lips were loud and unashamed, and he shook like a leaf under her grip, which only made her hold him tighter, humming therapeutically against fabric and skin, using her actions to calm him down.

When his sobs had quieted down, she raised her head to look into his red-rimmed eyes, before whispering the only words she could muster, "I'm sorry, Dally."

A softer, choked sob fell from his mouth, followed by a chuckle, before he shifted out of her grip. Trying to hide her disappointment, Cherry let her arms fall to her sides as she watched him stand, "Are you going to be okay?"

Wiping his eyes, he smiled blankly down at her, "You don't have to worry about me, Valance."

The redhead stood so she could look at him properly, "Don't make any stupid decisions. We can't afford to lose you, too."

Both cringed slightly at the words, but he seemed to soften a bit at her caring words, "I'll be fine."

For a solid second, they both were frozen, just staring at each other, and Cherry thought she saw his eyes flicker to her lips, but then, he was at the window, peeling the glass and screen away from their hinges.

Suddenly, the redhead was overcome with an uneasy feeling. She didn't want him to leave. She didn't want him to go to Buck's, get high, wasted, or both, and fuck some easy piece of trash. (She cringed at her own words.) She didn't want him to haze his memories through drugs and alcohol just to get through this night. She didn't want a smooth, unfamiliar body to meld against his in hopes of him not thinking about his dead best friend. She couldn't let him leave.

"Dallas?"

Hands bracing the window, one leg dangling out in the cool night air, the dark-haired man turned to look at her wordlessly. Suddenly, she was grateful it was dark enough to hide her body's flush, she stated simply, "Stay."

Raising an eyebrow, he stared blankly at her for a moment, before slowly pulling his leg back through the window and sliding the glass pane shut, "Why?"

Wordlessly, she reached out and touched his hand; he jolted at the gentleness of her touch. Taking a cautious step closer, but leaving enough space between them, she felt her flush deepen as she uttered a soft "please."

His eyes widened slightly, tantalized, as he uttered a soft "okay."

With that, Cherry smiled softly, feeling as if she could breathe easier, and headed toward her bed, snuggling close to the wall, offering the spot on her bed next to her, which both did their best to hide their surprise at, but carefully, Dallas settled himself against her frilly comforter, back against her headboard, and he watched her settle deep under the covers. He had a soft smile on his lips when she looked up at him, and she raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristically-correct behavior, "What?

Chuckling, he blinked a stray tear from his lashes, "You're weird, Red."

Biting her tongue, she held back the 'but you love me' because that was not only unrealistic for Dallas, but he also sort of had a thing for Jenny, it seemed, that would definitely fuck things up.

Holding back an overwhelming feeling of uneasiness at the thought of Jenny and Dallas together, she just rolled her eyes as she chuckled out, "Why thank you."

* * *

><p>AN: Hello all! It's been a while! You're looking great! How are the kids? - Now aside from my weirdness, hope you're enjoying this story! I don't know how I felt about how this chapter ended, but it fits in with the timeline of how the chapters go, so I hope you liked! Please send me little prompts to add into this story or new stories in my PM inbox! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Prompt: Johnny died but Dally didn't. Nope, he lived because of Johnny Cade: To get even with the Socs. Jenny O'reilly (Cherry's twin) is coming back. At 4, her and her dad moved out. She was raised in England while Cherry was raised in Tulsa but now she's back. The parents are still divorced. They eventually forgot about each other (Jenny and Cherry). Jenny is dressed more like a Soc but she doesn't act like one. Cherry acts like one. One day Cherry, Jenny, and one of their friends stop by the Dx to hang out with the gang as Cherry always went by due to helping the Greasers in trial. She became their look out but today, she just wants to hang with them and introduce the newest Soc and her twin. Tracey is Tracey Holden, Paul's sister from Wyoming. She also lived with a different set of parents and just came to Tulsa. Knew Sherri as a kid but then moved away (12) and is moving back. Dally wants Cherry, Soda wants Jenny, and Steve wants Tracey. It's about the 6 people falling in love, dealing with drama, and getting together.

*this is something like that.

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><p>Chapter 3:<p>

When Cherry wakes up the next morning, the left side of the bed is cold.

Numbly, the redhead reaches her hand out and caresses the soft sheets with her manicured hand, feeling a longing ache in the pit of her stomach. She feels stupid; she should've expected it. It was Dallas, after all. He probably only stayed until she had settled into her slumber, and then he headed out and defied any requests of hers on behalf of his safety. Stifling her tears, she sits up, the clench in her body tightening. Suppressing the feeling of sadness, she stood and gathered some clothes in hand and headed for the bathroom. A nice, hot shower sounded divine.

But it was as she approached the door that she heard Jenny's voice and the sound of water running, "Dallas, you need to tell her."

Her twin sounded definite, as if she weren't planning to change her mind any time soon. Cherry could picture her, in her pajamas, arms crossed over her chest, giving the dark-haired man the most intense gaze she could muster. Painting this picture in her mind, Cherry almost missed Dallas's reply.

"I can't hurt her like that." his voice is raw, depressed, "she's done so much for me, I can't make her suffer."

Brow furrowing, Cherry moves more towards the door, ear almost pressed to the sleek wood, and listens hard to Jenny's reply over the sound of the water. It sounded like it was the sink tap, just playing for white noise to drown out the conversation. So no one could hear. So _Cherry_ wouldn't hear.

"Dal, you're hurting her now; you're _making _her suffer. I see the way she looks at you-" Cherry cringes because _is it that obvious? -_ "and it's actually pathetic watching you two together."

Something wet hits her cheek, and Cherry belatedly realizes that she's crying. Slowly, she feels herself backing away from the bathroom and turns to rush back to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Clothes forgotten in a crumple heap on the floor, Cherry collapses against the door, a wracked sob falling from her lips.

Cherry doesn't know how long she sits there, the pit in her stomach deepening as she continues to cry. _Why does it hurt so much? _ she wonders. Why does it always feel like she's stumbling around Dallas, looking like a goof all of the time?

What feels like an eternity later, there's a knock on her bedroom door.

She doesn't answer instead curling herself tighter in a ball against the door, keeping her uneven breathing labored in hopes that the visitor would go away.

"Sherri," it's her mother. "Marcia's on the phone. Do you want me to take a message?"

The redhead takes a fresh breath before she replies. No use moping around all day in self-pity. "No," she croaks, "I'll take it."

After a moment, her mother's feet retrace their steps back down to the kitchen phone, where Cherry's mother will tell Marcia to hold for just a moment. Inhaling a clean breath once more, the redhead uncurls from her cocoon and changes into clean clothes, putting on some deodorant and pausing in the bathroom to splash her face with cold water.

When she passes through the dining room, Jenny is sitting at the table, tucking into her meal quietly, her eyes burning holes into Cherry's back as she picks the phone up off where it was left on top of the phone's base. Taking a deep breath, she presses the phone to her ear, rolling the cord over her wrist, "Hello?"

"Took you long enough." Marcia chuckles through the phone, "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine," Cherry sniffs, wiping her nose on her sleeve, "you?"

Marcia pauses, unconvinced, but she decides to let it go before continuing, "Good enough. So, Two-Bit stopped by my house-"

"Your house?!" Cherry interjects, all sadness from before gone, taken over by surprise. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees her mother on the edge of her seat at the dinner table, a look of concern marring her aging face. Lowering her voice, the redhead continued, "Like, he came in through the front door?"

"Yeah," a hint of giddiness filled her voice, "all dressed to the nines and everything. But he came in and was such a sweetheart to my parents, and I think he swept them off their feet! But he came to tell me that the Curtis' are having a little get together tonight and that we should come along. It'll be small, he said- just us, the Curtis' brothers, Dally, Jenny-" Marcia droned on, but Cherry had paid her attention elsewhere. What was Dallas supposed to tell her? Was he going to tell her about how him and Jenny were a thing and that she should lay off? Her stomach flipped uncomfortably.

"So, I can come pick you girls up at seven?" Marcia's statement brought the redhead back to reality.

"I think I'm tuckered out for tonight," Cherry finds herself saying, "but I'll let Jenny know when you're picking her up."

At this, Cherry watches Jenny drop her fork. Over the phone, all that could be heard was the faint sound of static crackling. Her mother's eyes flashed between Cherry and Jenny with a raised eyebrow, both confusion and concern evident in her expression.

"Ar- are you sure?" her friend asked over the phone uncertainly, "Two-Bit said it was going to be fun? Everyone really wants to see you guys."

Sighing, Cherry leans against the refrigerator, out of her family's sight. The phone cord tightened around her wrist, her pulse thudding hard against the plastic. Of course she wanted to go, but the idea of seeing Dallas and Jenny together yet again had her heart hurting. After a few more moments of terse conversation, Cherry said goodbye to her friend and hung up the phone.

"Marcia is going to pick you up at seven," She says to her sister as she passes the table and heads back to her room. She gets halfway up the stairs before her mother calls up to her.

"Cherry," her voice sounds tired, nervous, "aren't you going to eat your dinner?"

The redhead on the stairs felt guilty at her mother's voice. She hated worrying the woman, but she really couldn't face her sister right now. Jenny was oblivious to the fact that Cherry had overheard her and Dallas's conversation, and she couldn't stop hearing Jenny's malicious words:_ "and it's actually pathetic watching you two together."_

"No, thanks. I'm not that hungry." She calls back before spinning on her heel and heading back up to her bedroom.

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><p>It seemed to take forever to get to the Curtis' household.<p>

Currently, Marcia's car was stopped at a red light on the main street, a soft bluesy song playing from the radio, coupled with the scent of fresh-baked food and nicotine. Jenny glanced over at the brunette driving. She was slightly flushed, and her lips kept parting, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words. After a few moments of sitting in silence and watching the brunette gulping like a fish out of water, Jenny turned to face Marcia fully.

"Well, out with it."

The brunette glanced at her, just as the light turned green. An audacious honking followed the light's color change, and Marcia pressed on the gas, tearing her eyes away from the redhead, "What are you talking about?"

Jenny, rolling her eyes at the brunette's attempt at being sly, stated, "You look like you need to take a massive shit, but don't know how to excuse yourself from the room. What are you trying to say?"

A short silence overtook the two in the car, before Marcia muttered, "Were you ever going to tell her?"

The redhead's brow furrowed, "Alright now, what are _you _talking about?"

Marcia snorted, as if taken by Jenny's confusion, "Were you ever going to tell Cherry about you and Winston?"

Confused, the redhead cocked her head to the side, observing the fuming brunette. _Her and Winston?_ Chewing her lip, she thought about it, actually pondered, before inquiring about her befuddlement. Marcia raised an eyebrow, as if she's even more shocked at Jenny's reaction. She doesn't respond for a long time, just sits there, driving and shaking her head all along the way.

Finally, Jenny lost it. "What the hell are you talking about? There's nothing between me and Dallas Winston."

Another snort. "Really?" She didn't sound as if she believed a word Jenny had said.

"Come _on_, Marcia." Jenny concedes, "I have no idea what you are talking about. Dallas Winston and I are just friends."

Suddenly, the car swerved and Marcia slammed the brake and parked along the sidewalk, crooked and careless. The brunette turned and stared her hard bright eyes into Jenny's, their noses almost touching as the brunette spit out, "_Just friends?"_

For a moment, Jenny didn't reply, actual horror flitting across her face. But then she remembered that this was Cherry's harmless friend, and stared back, "Yes."

Steam seemed to emanate from Marcia's ears. Full of rage, she slammed her hand on the car horn, the noise staggering along with her irritation. A passing patron swore at her, but she seemed to ignore him, instead revving the engine and peeling out of her hazardous parking spot and back into the street. Barely pausing at the next stop sign, Jenny heard Marcia muttering, "Fine. Okay." in a light tone, but you could still hear the bite of anger in her voice.

"What does it matter to you, anyway?" the redhead inquired a few moments later. She kept herself fairly calm, suppressing her annoyance and letting her honest confusion show through.

"It doesn't," Marcia's voice was still in the light-pitched tone, "What matters to me is whether or not my friends get hurt."

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><p>The house was about to bust at the seams when Marcia and Jenny entered the Curtis household.<p>

Fogged with cigarette smoke and the scent of cheap beer permeating in the air, the house was breathing tension and excitement. Jenny didn't have to look hard to find Dallas - he was already looking for her. Cups in hand, he smiled at her and offered up a beer, trying to hide his questioning look over her shoulder, looking for the other redhead of the pair.

Taking the offered drink, Jenny took a long gulp, wincing at the bitter taste as it slicked her throat on the way down. Then she took another sip - she was making him work for it.

Finally, the eighteen-year-old tore his eyes away from the front door and returned them to Jenny, concern in his tone, "Where is she?"

"Where is who?" the redhead asked coyly, not meeting Dally's eyes. Taking the other drink from the boy's hand, she stacked the full cup into her empty one and took a sip.

Rolling his eyes, Dallas crossed his arms over his chest, annoyance in his voice, "Don't mess with me, O'Reilly. Where's _Cherry?_"

"_Cherry,_" Jenny bit out, grinning maniacally, "wasn't feeling up to coming tonight."

"Why?" his annoyance was dissipating and the concern in his demeanor was back, "What's wrong with her?"

Chuckling, Jenny crossed her arms out of her chest, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe she were saying this:

"She thinks we're dating."

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><p>AN: Hey again! Trying my best to keep up with this story! I haven't developed a schedule - if I'll have one - for updating this story. I don't think I'll have a schedule. I'm rereading the novel currently, and I've realized that I've gotten a few details wrong in relations to the book. BUT, I really don't mind. I hope you all don't mind either. Personally, I think this story is turning out better than I'd ever hoped. I hope you're enjoying it. Just FYI, to all of the Jenny lovers, she isn't a bad person! Oops.. spoilers! Hope you all liked the ending of this chapter. You don't know how many times my computer crashed and how many times I had to write this ending. I've taken to saving after every sentence (my computer just crashed again!) Hope this will suffice until the next installment! R&R if you enjoyed! Have a great day/night!

-JEK623


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